1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an antiballistic body armor and more particularly a soft body armor in which a combination of dissimilar materials is utilized to produce a synergistic result as compared to utilization of a single type of material. The superior result provides increased resistance to penetration of the soft body armor by a projectile such as a bullet or other ballistic projectile. The dissimilar materials ar arranged in a plurality of layers or plies of ballistic material which can be utilized in various arrangements for protecting individuals and property from injury or damage from a projectile or other ballistic missile. In one embodiment of the invention, the multiple plies of ballistic material include a unique arrangement of multiple plies of an aramid fiber such as that identified by the trademark "Kevlar" or that identified by the trademark "TWARON" and multiple plies of non-woven ballistic material available under the trademark "Spectra Shield". In another embodiment of the invention, the multiple plies of ballistic material include a unique arrangement of multiple plies of an aramid fiber identified by the trademark "Kevlar" or the trademark "TWARON" and multiple plies of ballistic nylon. Another embodiment of the invention utilizes an anti-ballistic material constructed of yarn of two separate materials woven in a standard procedure with the warp yarn being an aramid fiber such as "Kevlar" or "TWARON" having very low elasticity characteristics with the fill yarn being constructed of nylon having high elasticity characteristics with the blend of the two yarns providing a synergistic yarn in which the two characteristics, namely, the low elasticity warp yarn and the high elasticity fill yarn, producing a flexible fabric armor that is effective as an anti-ballistic material. The present invention also includes a unique arrangement of soft body armor used to protect vehicle drivers or occupants from ballistic attack which generally is in the form of a rectangular seat drape which holds and retains the soft fabric armor in place with a narrow extension of the drape and armor extending up behind the driver's head thus providing effective protection for a vehicle driver or occupant in which the dissimilar materials provide a synergistic result.
2. Information Disclosure Statement
Body armor has been developed for use by individuals to protect the wearer from injury or death by ballistic attack. My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,535,478 and 4,578,821 disclose body armor which has been developed for this purpose and which include the use of "Kevlar" as a ballistic material. Law enforcement personnel and other individuals subject to ballistic attack have found body armor effective in significantly reducing injury and death from ballistic attack. Also, the prior art made of record during prosecution of the applications which matured into the above patents disclose developments in body armor and the following U.S. patents also disclose developments relevant to the soft body armor of this invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,816,578 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 3,256,130 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,768 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,648 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,466,135 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,105 PA0 U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,574
The prior art does not disclose the use of multiple plies of dissimilar materials to produce a synergistic penetration resistance to soft body armor and do not disclose use of such a soft body armor to protect a vehicle driver or occupant.